After bringing some of the best premium true wireless earbuds, Jabra is looking to make its presence in the affordable hearable category.
It had recently launched Elite 3 priced around Rs 6,999, and later came Elite 2 priced around Rs 8,999.
Jabra has now launched Elite 2 earbuds priced at Rs 5,999 but they are on discounts on major e-commerce platforms so you can get them below Rs 4,000.
But are these buds value for money or has Jabra cut too many corners to bring out affordable earbuds? Let's find out in this review.
Jabra Elite 2: Design and features
The Jabra Elite 2 is a lookalike of the Elite 3 with a similar ergonomic design and a solid exterior, even the finishing is just the same but the buttons are easier to press in Jabra's latest offering.
The earbuds are quite light; each bud weighs nearly 5 grams and sits in your ear comfortably.
The IP55 rating offers good resistance against dust, sweat, and water. There is no touch control, you'd have to press a physical button on each bud to play/pause music, skip tracks, etc. I must admit the buttons are easier to press, unlike the case with Elite 3 buds, yet it's uncomfortable to press button while you're using the buds.
The charging case is also of the same size as it was in Elite 3, however, it's easy to carry in pocket and at 31 gm, it's quite lightweight, too.
Overall, they have quite a solid build for a budget earphone.
Jabra Elite 2: Sound Quality
The Jabra Elite 2 offers really impressive sound for the asking price with a fine balance between the treble and bass on default setting.
The vocals and instrument separation is noteworthy and the bass is decent, if not too impressive, thanks to the 6mm drivers; it's tough to get this smooth bass in this price range.
Jabra's sound signature is impressive.
The only big miss here is the support for ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) which would have sweetened the deal and you miss it the most when you use these earbuds outdoors.
The Elite 2's noise isolation is fine enough, but doesn't fare too well in a noisy environment.
You can take calls using the buds but the experience is good as long as you use them indoors, the earbuds struggle a lot and the call experience is not at all good outdoors.
Jabra Elite 2: Battery life
Jabra claims the Elite 2 can last up to 21 hours with the case and offer up to 7 hours of battery time on a single charge. It comes close to that on regular use. Also, since there is no ANC, the on-battery time doesn't fluctuate much.
There is also the support of fast charging, you get 1 hour of music playback with 10 minutes of charging.
Jabra Elite 2: Verdict
The Jabra Elite 2 is indeed worthy of consideration if your budget is around Rs 5,000. There is no compromise on the sound quality and the battery life is impressive but yes you would miss the ANC for which you would have to spend some extra bucks.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active is one good option if ANC is your priority but Nothing Ear (1) is another worthy earbud around this price range.
